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Okay to transfer?

My wife has a 55 gallon tank with 8 angels. She bought them all when they were very small. They have grown quickly. There are also 8 emperor tetras in the tank that were established before the angels arrives in order to complete a cycle. We haven't had problems between the two species.

In the last few days I have noticed one particular angel being bullied by another. The tank is heavily planted, and this fish generally spends it's time hiding in the swords near the bottom.

We also have a 29 gallon tank that has been going for years. It currently holds 4 rasboras, 2 cory cats, i kuhli loach and 2 silver dollars. No real issues with this tank other than being unable to keep the dollars from annhiliating the plants.

Here's my question: Can I move the badgered angel into the 29? I realize that it's small for such a species, but it would only be the one. Basically I want to know if it's worse for the angel to remain in the 55 or be moved.

A side note: We have had angel eggs laid on the filter of the 55 in the last 2 weeks on 2 separate occasions. They get eaten in a few days, usually after the light goes out. Don't know if this matters, just disclosing.

Angelfish are highly territorial and even if you remove the current victim there will soon be another. 55g is too small for more than one mated pair, or a single individual specimen. You need to rehome AT LEAST half of those angels. The best would be to workout who the pair is which has been laying and then keep only them, re homing the others. You could then increase your Emperor school.

A 29g is the bare minimum for a single angel with no other tank mates -- and your 29g is already way overstocked with 2 Silver Dollars. SDs should not be kept in anything smaller than 55g. They are also a schooling fish and need 5-6 minimum. I would be rehoming those too as they are simply not appropriate for that tank. Cory cats, Rasboras AND Kuhli Loaches are ALL schooling fish and should be in groups of 6+ -- you need to rehome those SDs and increase all of those schools.

Angelfish are highly territorial and even if you remove the current victim there will soon be another. 55g is too small for more than one mated pair, or a single individual specimen. You need to rehome AT LEAST half of those angels. The best would be to workout who the pair is which has been laying and then keep only them, re homing the others. You could then increase your Emperor school.

A 29g is the bare minimum for a single angel with no other tank mates -- and your 29g is already way overstocked with 2 Silver Dollars. SDs should not be kept in anything smaller than 55g. They are also a schooling fish and need 5-6 minimum. I would be rehoming those too as they are simply not appropriate for that tank. Cory cats, Rasboras AND Kuhli Loaches are ALL schooling fish and should be in groups of 6+ -- you need to rehome those SDs and increase all of those schools.

I was afraid that this would be the answer I'd get. I appreciate the help. I will attempt to rehome some angels ASAP. I'd actually wanted to do this for awhile, but the angels were a gift for my wife from her father and she's been reluctant to part with them. This recent aggression is giving her second thoughts. She's 7 months pregnant and the care of the tanks has fallen to me, and I'm learning on the fly.

I'm almost 100% certain of which angels are paired. I can identify the dominant male and the female that hangs out with him most of the time. Oddly (or maybe not so oddly), the pair tends to occupy one side with the bullied angel while the rest remain on the other and mind their business.

My next question would be about the sd's. If I could manage the pare the angels down to the pair and rehome the other 6, would it be possible to put the sd's in with them in the larger tank? The dollars aren't too large at the moment. Maybe 2.5 inches in diameter. I would guess no due to the aggression, but there's been to conflict between the angels and emperors at any point. Is this only b/c they'e been raised together for so long or do angels leave other species alone?

If worse comes to worse, I could buy another 55 for them (the dollars are my personal favorites), and I also hear that they will wreak havoc on the plants in the angel tank.